The present invention relates to a pressurized water reactor, and in particular to a fuel transfer system for use in the reactor.
Fuel transfer systems currently used in pressurized water reactors (PWR) and other reactors are inconvenient to repair and the repair process is time-consuming. For example, some systems use air cylinders to up-end and down-end a fuel transfer container. Holes may develop in associated air hoses that disable the system or cause the system to operate unreliably. Further, downtime of the fuel transfer system to perform maintenance on the system components is high and often occurs during the critical path of the system cycle. Another disadvantage is the number of components in current fuel transfer systems that need to interface to move a fuel transfer car to and from the reactor building.